One of the greatest shortstops of all-time, former Wichita Aviators infielder Arky Vaughan, died in a boating accident 70 years ago at the age of 40.
Vaughan born in the far northwest part of Arkansas, then grew up in California; he made his professional debut at the age of 19 in Wichita, batting .338 with 21 home runs for the Aviators.
His one season in the minor leauges was enough; after that, he played 14 seasons in the major leauges with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was a nine-time All-Star, including six All-Star starts. He hit two home runs in the 1941 All-Star game (which had never been done before), but that feat was overshadowed after Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox hit the game-winning home run for the American League in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Vaughan won the National League batting title in 1935, hitting .385; he also led the league in slugging percentage and walks.
In his New Historical Baseball Abstract, published in 2001, Bill James rated Vaughan as the second-best shortstop in major league history, behind fellow Pirate and mentor Honus Wagner.
After his playing days, Vaughan had bought a ranch in Eagleville, California, where he retired to fish, hunt, and tend cattle. On August 30, 1952, Vaughan was fishing in nearby Lost Lake, with his friend Bill Wimer. According to a witness, a sudden storm erupted; Wimer (who couldn't swim) stood up in the boat, causing it to capsize, and although Vaughan tried to save his friend, both men drowned.
Vaughan was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985; among his high-school classmates was a man who would later serve as President of the United States, Richard Nixon. A letter from Nixon was read at Vaughan's Hall of Fame induction:
"I was a substitute tackle on the Fullerton High School championship 130-pound team, and remember Arky as our star halfback--fast, hard-nosed and even then a real professional."
Sincerely,
Richard Nixon